Si Xinian, standing beside him, tensed up, beginning to ponder Xie Ying's intentions. No matter how he analyzed it, he couldn't believe that the current actions weren't Xie Ying's doing at all. If the war didn't break out, everything would be for naught.
He absolutely cannot let Huang Mang agree!
Si Xinian secretly observed Huang Mang's reaction. He was first shocked, then calmed down and began to think seriously, looking like he was about to give in.
Just as he was about to speak to stop him, Huang Mang said to Si Bogong, "Once Si Lei stands in front of me, this general will immediately release the two kings back to their residences!"
Sibo Gong said, "Our lord will arrive shortly."
Now that another ruler of the Seven Jin states has gotten involved, Xie Ji couldn't understand why the marshal was doing this.
The negotiations went very smoothly, almost unbelievably so. Huang Mang began to carefully consider why Xie Ying had agreed so readily. The current situation was exactly as he had expected, but he couldn't figure out Xie Ying's purpose.
When did Xie Ying become so easy to talk to?
Suddenly, a sense of inexplicable crisis washed over him, making him a little apprehensive.
He glanced at Si Xinian, who was also deep in thought, and began to say solemnly, "In that case, this general will wait to see Si Lei today!"
Huang Mang stood up and walked out of the courtroom. Si Xinian followed closely behind him.
Upon seeing this, Si Bogong quickly followed and called out to him, "Qinian, have a talk with the Imperial Uncle!"
"I have nothing to talk to you about!" Si Xinian quickened his pace to leave the courtroom, but was grabbed tightly by Si Bogong's sleeve and pressed on, "Tell the Imperial Uncle, why didn't you come to me for help?"
Si Xinian's eyes darkened, and his emotions surged. He looked up and said sternly, "A plea for help? What you're referring to is that I sent thirty letters of appeal, begging the various Jin royal uncles and the rulers of the Seven Jin states to save my royal sister, royal brother, royal sister, my classmates, my aunt, and my wet nurse, but they all disappeared without a trace!"
"Even when my elder sister was being transported in a cage, Si Lei clearly knew that she had been sent to the Southern Region, so why was he only concerned with negotiating the marriage alliance with the Shi Kingdom and turned a deaf ear to my letter for help!"
"Don't you know what Si Lei did? He asked you for help, do you think he would allow the letter to fall into your hands and let you meddle in his business?!"
Si Bogong was immediately filled with remorse. He had only learned that the person in the cage was Qi Tong when he went to the Southern Region to attend the welcoming ceremony. Moreover, Huang Mang had deliberately sent someone to tell him this before the cage was opened.
Si Bogong said with heartache, "Then you can ask your fifth and sixth imperial uncles, they will definitely..."
He took a few steps back, trembling, unable to believe that his brothers, whom he served, would do such a thing as leaving their own people to die.
Si Xinian said with a sarcastic expression, "You don't know that Fifth and Sixth Imperial Uncles only listen to him?"
"I will never rely on anyone else again. I will also rescue my elder sister!"
"Fourth Brother wouldn't be so heartless, he must have replied to you!" Si Bogong still couldn't believe it.
At the entrance to the court, everyone stared at the uncle and nephew, and the Huang army generals all looked on with disdain for Jiu Jin's various acts of persecution against his legitimate wife.
Huang Mang stopped and answered for Si Xinian, but his tone was full of malice: "Uncle Si, of course there is. It's just that Si Lei, that hypocritical fellow, waits until people are sick and dying or have gone mad before he comes to ask me with crocodile tears. I said to return the Fourth Prince to him. Or use some grain to redeem the Eldest Princess."
As he spoke, he deliberately pushed Si Xinian in front of Si Bogong, looking at the scratches on the boy's neck and the way the boy looked at a stranger.
Huang Mang looked up and laughed mockingly: "Hahaha! The ruler of the Seven Jin Kingdom actually said that he did not recognize him! A few days later, he came again to ask for the Fourth Prince's body, saying that he wanted to take it back to the Seven Jin Kingdom for a grand burial."
"I say, you concubines, do you all want the legitimate line to die out so you can take your place? It's truly fratricide, a heartbreaking sight!"
"He would rather believe me than believe you, his family!"
These words caused Si Bogong to lean back as if he were about to faint.
Xie Ji helped him up and asked, "Master Si, are you alright?"
Huang Mang breathed a sigh of relief, feeling completely refreshed. "The Fourth Prince has official duties to attend to, so it's inconvenient for him to stay here to continue the marriage."
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 17:03:21 on November 13, 2021 and 16:43:14 on November 14, 2021!
Thank you to the little angels who launched the rocket: Chacha-kun's Little Teasing 3;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 19 Her chessboard is made up of chess pieces
In the Golden Palace, Huang Mang sat with his legs crossed, shaking as he asked his advisors and generals to analyze Xie Ying's purpose.
The staff reminded him several times: "Xie Ying is probably using delaying tactics to lull us into a false sense of security. In fact, she has already taken action."
"If they come, we'll fight them. We have over 100,000 troops to hold them off! They should be the ones who are afraid." A general stood up.
Soon, the other two generals stood up in solidarity with the enemy.
Huang Mang saw that his three trusted confidants were about to start a war.
"Zhao Qing, Zhao Shi, Zhao Zhao, don't be in a hurry."
He turned his gaze to Si Xinian and asked, "What do you think?"
"Xie Ying is indeed using delaying tactics, but her purpose is elsewhere."
“Xie Ying withdrew 180,000 men to defend the capital. As long as they don’t attack Tianjing immediately, the pressure of defending will only fall on Shiguo Prefecture and the Northern Region.” He could then proceed with his own plans. Huang Mang immediately sat up straight. “Besides that, what other purpose does she have?”
Si Xinian said, "We'll have to test it to find out."
Huang Mang wasn't particularly interested in "how to test the waters."
Si Xinian, however, said, "Capture Xie Ji or arrest Si Bogong."
Upon hearing this, the civil official Zheng Xin stepped forward and said, "General Huang, you must not do this. The interests of the Minister of Works do not conflict with ours. If he is arrested, our prestige in Shanxi will be greatly diminished."
In reality, Huang Mang had long lost his prestige. This wasn't acceptable, that wasn't acceptable, and Huang Mang had run out of patience.
Huang Mang was a warrior by nature; strategy and overall planning were not his forte.
The three Zhao brothers had long wanted to fight, and now that they heard that Si Xinian, whom they looked down upon, actually shared their thoughts, they all stood up and said, "General Huang, what the Fourth Prince said makes sense. Before our two benefactors send troops to our aid, we must find out how Xie Ying will use his troops. Otherwise, if our two benefactors ask about this matter and we cannot give them an answer, what will we do if they do not send troops?"
These words immediately silenced the civil official Zheng Xin.
Huang Mang felt as if he had been choked. His confidant was right. The reason he was not afraid of Xie Ying now was not only because of the troops under his command, but also because of the promises given by his two benefactors.
Aside from the previous command token, the two benefactors have not made any other promises.
Huang Mang cautiously said, "Si Xinian, this general doesn't need any particularly good methods, just speed!"
Si Xinian said, "General Huang, why don't you take advantage of the King of Jin to test Xie Ying's bottom line?"
Huang Mang's eyes darkened: "Coercing the Three Jin states."
This method is also good.
Si Xinian's expression darkened, and he came up with another plan: "Let the three Jin states fall into chaos without a leader. Wouldn't that be a good opportunity?"
The civil official Zheng Xin's eyelids twitched immediately. Could this kid be waiting here?
He immediately questioned, "If General Huang does this, he will incite the anger of the people of Shanxi, which would be a great loss! Are you harming the general or helping him?"
"Then it depends on General Huang's choice. When the war was started, General Huang made a choice, and he can make a choice today as well."
The boy's words were laced with calculation, revealing to Huang Mang a sinister and ruthless nature. He also possessed an unwavering determination to achieve his goals. But was this very demeanor truly meant to help him?
"We cannot kill anyone, but we can take the ruler of the Three Jin states as a hostage." Huang Mang remained doubtful and asked his advisors a few more questions. The advisors all replied: This plan is unacceptable.
This directly angered Huang Mang.
Si Xinian coldly stared at Huang Mang. The civil and military officials around him had varying expressions, all thinking that General Huang only cared about what he wanted to hear. As for the Fourth Prince... this man always came up with plans based on what General Huang wanted to hear. And this plan, though seemingly absurd, was tailor-made for General Huang. He had flattered General Huang so much that even though General Huang disliked the Fourth Prince, he would still choose him to devise strategies because he pleased him.
This move is as absurd as his betrayal of Marshal Xie!
This madman and reckless madman will sooner or later plunge Tianjing into war.
The group began to consider whether they should leave themselves a way out.
Within the territory of Tianjing, a carriage with a thousand attendants drove into the border state of Tianjing. Inside the carriage, Si Lei, the ruler of the Seven Jin Kingdom, sat upright with his eyes fixed straight ahead, holding the letter that Xie Lanzhi had personally written for him in his hands.
"I guarantee your safety. Afterwards, you will be the leader of Shanxi. I will escort you to Tianjing."
Tianjing will make him a legitimate member of the Jin imperial family and give him the right to reclaim the Nine Jin states! With Tianjing as the capital, he will surely become the Emperor of Jin.
Thousands of miles away in the southern region, the land was covered in snow and a cold wind was blowing. Xie Lanzhi issued an imperial decree to distribute winter food to every household, bringing light to thousands of homes and peace to the people of the region, unlike the southern border where corpses lay everywhere and countless people starved to death.
Inside the Chenxiang Mansion, Xie Lanzhi finished her meal and leaned against the table, turning her white brush and staring at Xie Ying's handwriting on the paper.
It's a perfect nine-figure image.
She said, "Your fourth uncle has quite a lot of ambition. I've seen many people who are willing to risk their lives for their future, but it's rare to see someone become the ruler of a country."
Si Xitong was grinding ink for her while holding up her sleeves. When she heard what she was saying, her hand paused for a moment, but it was only a brief reaction. She continued grinding the ink and reminded her, "The Fourth Imperial Uncle is suitable as a restorer of the dynasty, but he is a lowly servant who cannot be marked with a pennant or have his head hung up. Naturally, he is not suitable for war."
"So, he thought the Xie family could help him conquer Tianjing, and Huang Mang wouldn't kill him because of his status as the ruler. He really had a clever plan to profit from both sides." Xie Lanzhi was very interested in her plans to assist her. She rested her chin on her hand and asked, "And when you brought Si Lei into this scheme, did you consider whether he could be of any use?"
"It's useful, but not very useful. And Huang Ze has always coveted the identity of the benefactor of the Three Jin, so your fourth uncle is safe until you withdraw your troops. Besides..." Si Xitong pushed the inkstone to his side, gently took Xie Lanzhi's hand, and pressed it down to trace the characters in the air. It was as if she were drawing in thin air.
Looking at the font and the ink painting next to it, it seemed to be a map, or rather, a chessboard-like drawing.
She was curious about what she was deducing.
Xie Lanzhi scanned the area near the Southern Region, including the Shi Kingdom Prefecture, the Northern Region north of Tianjing, and then Tianjing itself, detailing every location in the capital. She even drew ink circles around the locations, marking the headquarters of various generals.
She said, "Since we finalized the plan, I've been curious why you keep drawing the same diagram. Are you confirming your memory?"
Si Xitong said, "This is the territory of Tianjing's influence. Huang Mang's rule has more than 150,000 people who rely on these people."
"who?"
"Zhao Qing, Zhao Shi, and Zhao Zhao. The three Zhao brothers led an army of 100,000, all of whom were Huang Mang's confidants." Si Xitong recalled that his father had wanted to seize power from the Zhao family and stop them before he died, but unfortunately, the Zhao family rebelled first before he could take action.
Xie Lanzhi asked, "What about the other 50,000?"
Si Xitong said, "Among the former nobles of Tianjing, there are those who curry favor with the powerful. Of course, there are also those who are content with their own little corner of the land."
It was clear that Si Xitong was very familiar with the situation in Tianjing. Xie Lanzhi was particularly gratified. She knew very well that Huang Mang was not the main threat. On the contrary, if they only attacked him, he would probably surrender as soon as the troops were dispatched, let alone have the confidence to betray her.
It was all because the Shi Kingdom and the Northern Region joined forces; one wanted to attack her from the south, and the other wanted to attack her from the north, launching a pincer attack.
It can be described as insidious.
She said, "I previously agreed with the idea of sowing discord, but unfortunately, war cannot be decided by a single plan. I'm also not sure how many people Master Sibo can influence by leveraging the influence of the Southern Region?"
Si Xitong corrected him, "Lanzhi, why belittle yourself? Your strategy is very suitable for balancing internal and external forces and controlling the overall situation. As long as it is under your control, victory is achieved without fighting. Even in local battles, you will be assured of victory. All you need to do is bring in some generals to act on your behalf."
Xie Lanzhi said, "Hmm, but the three names you mentioned seem to be very familiar with their personalities."
Si Xitong's eyes suddenly darkened: "They were once my father's confidants, and half of the disasters caused by Huang Mang's conquest of Tianjing were caused by them."
"It seems that Huang Mang's camp is full of traitors." Xie Lanzhi said, "You just said that some people in Tianjing are concerned about their own little piece of land, so perhaps there are some people who can be used."
"I believe we will hear news soon." Si Xitong put away the chessboard and gently placed it in Xie Lanzhi's palm. He said, "I have calculated countless times how to save Tianjing if it falls in this chaotic world. But everything has been beyond my expectations. I have calculated the factions, but the one thing I can't predict is who will betray me first."